Method of producing hardened valve seats



Dec. 30, 1941.

H. E. SOMES METHQD OF PRODUCING HARDENED VALVE SEATS v Original Filed April 21, 1930 I I Inventor Howard 213507126 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 30, HJE. SO ME S METHOD OF PRODUCING HARDENED VALVE SEATS Original Filed April 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' l I Y Patented Dec. 30, 1941 METHOD or raonponvo nannanan VALVE scars Howard E Somes, Detroit, Budd.1nduction Heating,

Mich, assignor to 1:10., Fhiladelphia,

Pa., a corporation oi. Michigan Original application April 21, 1938, Serial No.

7 203,277. Divided 1939, Serial No. 274,959

1 Claim.

The present invention relates in general to electrical heat treatment of metallic articles, and

more particularly to differential heat treatment by electromagnetic induction of an integral portion of an object for the purpose of hardening such portion, and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 203,277 filed April 21, 1938, for Electrical heat treating apparatus.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a method for hardening by electro-magnetic induction, a conical valve seat or similar portion formed integrally with an article of metal hardenable by heat treatment, for example, the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine.

In attempting the hardening of a conical valve seat of an internal combustion engine by electromagnetic induction, including a heating step followed immediately by quenching, certain diillculties arise due to the peculiar shape and angular position of the portion operated upon, and space limitations, not encountered in similar operations upon objects of more favorable form and larger dimensions. Chief among such problems are: the controlling of the position. and form of the hardened zone with relation to the angularly disposed valve seat surface; the concentration of sufiicient energy, in the space available, to do the work withthe rapidity necessary to obtain the results desired; the attainment of rapid and uniform quenching within an extremely short time alter heating; and the attainment of simplicity and strength with compactness in the apparatus.

Another problem is to overcome difficulties arising from the fact that the space available.

below the valve seat for. reception of portions of the apparatus extending below the valve seat, is limited to the relatively small diameter valve duct or channel below the seat.

It is, therefore, an important object of the invention to provide a method whereby a hardened zone of the desired quality may be produced near and including the conical valve seat surface and adjacent portions of adjoining surfaces extending away from the valve seat surface at an angle thereto, and to achieve such result with a valve seat of small diameter for example in the neighborhood of two inches or less and situated over a duct of substantially smaller diameter than the valve seat.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a perusal of the following specification and the drawings accompanying the same.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a V-type multicylinder engine block with the top portions shown in a horizontal plane;

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section through the and this application May 22,

heating element and the valve seat and cylinder bore of an engine block;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section through the tool shaft and conducting sleeve taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary radial section through a hardened valve seat portion of an engine block.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the object operated upon is here shown as the engine block it of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having a conical valve seat portion ll formed about the upper opening of the valve duct or channel It adjacent a cylinder bore I3,

which valve seat portion is to be hardened or provided with a hardened zone near and including the valve seat surface H. The induction heating element or tool is comprised in general of the inducing conductor It looped in a single annulus provided-with a magnetic core element i5 and carried at the lower end of the tool frame it separably secured to a tool shaft ill for movement into and out of operative relation with the valve seat as well as. for rotary movement with relation to the valve seat, the lowermost end of the tool frame carrying a quenching nozzle 11 below the inducing conductor and in fluid connection with a fluid conducting channel 18 extending through the tool frame and continuous with the channel IS in the tool shaft. While no special means for effecting vertical and rotational movement of the tool shaft'is shown herein, it is understood that any known or other suitable means for imparting a vertical and rotational movement to the shaft may be used, for example, such as is shown in my copending application Serial No. 164,320, filed September-17, 1937.

The inducing conductor i6 is of general rectangular cross section arranged in an annular loop coaxial with the axis of the tool shaft and set with its rectangular cross sectional contour at an angle so that its lower, outer annular face may be brought into parallelism with the face of the valve seat. The lower outer portion of the inducing conductor I4 is also provided with annular projecting portions along its edges forming an annular recess having surfaces arranged to lie substantially parallel to and in substantially equally close proximity to both the valve seat surface II and the adjacent surfaces l9 and-20 for a substantial distance from the edges of the valve seat portion and to receive the valve seat surface for an appreciable depth. The core element I5 is built up preferably of a series of tapered radially arranged laminations to form a compact mass of radially laminated material, the laminations being clamped in position near the lower end of the tool frame I6 between the clamping shoulder 22 and the top portion of the quenching nozzle I1 which latter is fitted over a reduced lower extension of the tool frame in clamping relation with the laminated core element I5 by means of a clamping nut 24 threaded onto the thread extension 25 at the lower extremity of the tool frame.

An insulation lining 26 suitably insulates the conductor I4 from the core element I5, the conductor I4 having one terminal grounded or connected toframe through a terminal extension 21 (Fig. 4) which connects with the tool frame I6 through means of a binding screw 28. The other terminal of the conductor loop is connected through a terminal extension 29 (Figures 2 and 5) to a conducting sleeve extension 30 through a binding screw 3I, the sleeve extension 30 being insulated from the tool frame I6 by means of an insulating bushing or sleeve 32. Insulation of the terminal extension 29 from the core element I5 may be effected by means of the air gap 33 as sulating material inserted between the extension 29 and the core element. Electrical connection is extended from the sleeve extension 30 up along the tool shaft I5 by means of the conducting sleeve 34 surrounding the tool shaft and insulated therefrom by the insulating sleeve 35 and washer 36. Electrical contact is established between the sleeve extension 30 and conducting sleeve 34 through a separable electrical connection comprising the conducting bar 31 secured to the sleeve extension 30 as by welding or brazing, and extending up around the insulating washer 36 into sliding contact with an axially extending groove in the are shaped lug 38 secured to the shoulder 39 on the conducting sleeve by a screw 40. The tool shaft I6 is also rendered separable in the vicinity of the shoulder 39 by means of the complementary threaded sections 4| and 42 so that the heating tool per se may be separated from the tool shaft and conducting sleeve 34 by simply removing the screw permitting relative rotation between the tool shaft I6 and the heating element with resultant separation of the complementary threaded portions H, 42.

With the heating tool or element constructed as above described, high frequency energizing current may be supplied to the inducing conductor I4 by way of the tool shaft I 6 and conducting sleeve 34 as current leads over a path which may be traced from the tool shaft I5, tool frame I6, terminal extension 21 (Figure 4), inducing conductor I4, terminal extension 29 (Figure 2), sleeve extension 30, conducting bar 31 and arc shaped contact element 38 to the shoulder element 39 and conducting sleeve 34. Thus the heating element may be readily supplied with energizing current froma suitable source of high frequency current as indicated diagrammatically at 43 through leads connected to the concentric shaft and sleeve arrangement I6'-34 in any known or other suitable manner as through a sliding contact arrangement, such for example as that shown in my copending application above referred to.

shown or by other suitable inranged to align with 2,268,528 ment I 5 are arranged to partially embrace the The quenching nozzle I1 is in the form of an annulus fitted around the lower, reduced extension 44 of the tool frame I 6 with a snug fit and held thereon in clamping relation against the laminations of the core element I5 by the clamping nut 24 through the pressure washer 24'. It is provided with a series of spray orifices 45 connected through an annular manifold duct 41 with the radial ducts 46 extending inwardly into communication with the central channel I8 in the tool frame I6. The quenching nozzle I! may thus be supplied with a suitable quenching fluid from a source not shown, through the channel I8 of the tool frame I6. By forming the spray nozzle'as shown with outwardly directed orifices, it may be made much smaller in diameter than the diameter of the valve seat to enable it to project into the relatively small diameter valve duct or channel I2 below -the valve seat when the inducing conductor I4 is in operative relation with the valve seat.

' To insure proper alignment of the heating tool *with the valve seat in its movement to and from the valve seat, and in its rotary movement with relation to the valve seat, a supplemental guide fixture 48 is provided which, for the treatment of a multi-cylinder engine block as here shown, is arranged to fit over the top of one half of the v-type block and is provided with a plurality of piston-like dowel elements 49 for holding the guide fixture in place on the engine block in predetermined position relative to the cylinder bores and valve seats. The guide seat fixture 48 is provided with a plurality of guide openings 50 arcertain of the valve seats, in the present case alternate valve seats to permit the use of heating tools of diameters greater than the center-to-center spacing between adjacent ing rings held use the heating tools in groups of 4, spaced valve seats. To maintain the conducting sleeve extension 30 of the tool insulated from the guide fixture during its sliding and rotational movement within the guide opening 50, such extension is provided with an insulating covering or bushing 5| which also acts as a bearing sleeve between the heating tool and the inner surface of the guide opening. To extend the flux generated in the core element I5 radially outwardly beyond the valve seat and to an appreciable depth below the valve seat surface, and to shield the guide fixture 48 in the vicinity of the guide opening from the flux, a radially laminated lining sleeve. 52 of appreciable radial depth is inserted in the guide element so as to extend downwardly between the guide element and the radially outermost face of the core element to near the outer edge of the valve seat. The magnetic lining 52 like the core element I5 is built up of a compact series of radially tapered laminations arranged as indicated in Fig. 3 to form a compact mass of radially laminated material, the laminations being extended radially outwardly at their upper ends to permit their being clamped in position within the guide opening between suitable upper and lower clampin position by the clamping ring nut 53.

For the treatment of an eight cylinder V-type engine block as here'indicated, it is preferable to so as to align with alternate valve seats. The guide fixture 48 is, therefore, provided with a group of four guide openings 50 arranged to align with alternate valve seats, for use as guides for the group of four heating tools. For the intermediate, a1-v ternate valve seats not provided for by the guide fixture 50 shown in position at the lower half .of

Fig. 1, a second guide fixture similar to the one shown but formed as a mirrored image thereof is provided, having guide openings registering with the said intermediate alternate valve seats. The guide fixture as shown in dotted lines at the top of Fig. 1 is the same as that shown at the bottom of Fig. 1 except that it is turned around in the plane of the drawings.

It is to be noted that while the magnetic lining element 52 is shown as extending a considerable distance upwardly from the inducing conductor H! such an extension is not necessary from an electrical standpoint but is used as a constructional expedient to provide for the mounting of the laminations; in fact it is possible to do away with the lining element 52 altogether, replacing it by a further radial extension of the core element iii to carry it radially over the outermost edge of the valve seat and between the inducing conductor and the guide fixture, it being understood that the insulation sleeve or bushing 5! and'guide opening 50 would be increased to a diameter at least equal to that of the extended core element. Inasmuch as the second group of alternate valve seats would run in a different order from the first group, that is instead of running in the order of exhaust, inlet, etc., as indicated by the initials E, I, etc., respectively, at the bottom of Fig. 1, would run in the order of inlet, exhaust, etc., it would be necessary toprovide two groups of heating tools arranged in opposite order. On the other hand, it will be obvious that by suitable relative lateral movement between the engine blockand the heating tool, a single heating tool may be used. In either case, the heating tool or tools would be suitably arranged for lateral and rotary movement-as well as for the supply of electrical energy and quenching fluid in a manner similar to that shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 164,320, flled September 17, 1937.

In operation with the guide fixture in position as shown in the drawings, the tool shaft I6 is moved downwardly to slide the heating tool assemblage into the guide opening 50 and into the position shown in Fig. 2 with the inducing conductor M parallel to and in close proximity to the surface of the valve seat II, and the quenching nozzle 24 extended down into the valve duct 12 below the valve seat. Upon assumption of this, the operative position of the heating tool, energizing current is supplied to .the inducing conductor 14 from the source 43 through the tool shaft 16 and conducting sleeve- 18 over a path previously traced,'the connection with the source 43 including any known or other suitable switching and control system which for example may be similar to that shown in my copending application Serial No. 96,346, filed August '7, 1936. Energization of the inducing conductor loop l4, due to the peculiar shape and arrangement of the conductor I4 and the coreelement l5 and their position in relation to the valveseat, causes annular-heating currents to be induced in a zone near and including the valve surface and the adjacent portions of the adjoining surfaces extending away from the valve surface, thus heating that portion of the cylinder block which constitutes the valve seat and adjacent portions. During this heating operation, the heating tool is rotated relative to that valve seat so as to offset any unevenness in the heated zone due to lack of absolute symmetry of the annular loo portion of the inducing conductor resulting from the presence of the terminal connections at one side of the loop.

Upon attainment of the proper hardening ternperature, the current supply to the inducing cone ductor is discontinued and the heating tool together with the quenching nozzle 23 is raised to bring the nozzle above the level of the valve seat to a position where quenching fluid, for example, water, flowing from the spraying jets will be directed against ,the valve seat to quench the same, the quenching fluid being at this time supplied through the channel l8 in the tool shaft. The time and duration of application of quenching fluid, as well as the time and duration of application of energizing current to the inducing conductor, may be controlled by any known or other suitable timed controlling device not shown, and which for examplemay be similar to that shown in my copending application-last above referred to. At the end of the quenching period the tool shaft I6 is raised further to carry the heating tool and spray nozzle upwardly clear of the guide fixture, to permit replacement of the guide fixture, removal of the engine block or displacement of the engine block with respect to the tool element as required, and according as to whether a single heating tool is 'used for several valve seats of like diameter, or a group of several heating tools.

Where a single heating tool is used for the several valve seats of like diameter, there will, of course, be required two such tools because of the difference in size between the exhaust valve and the intake valve. While, in Fig. 6, I have shown the hardened zone as of a particular contour by way of example and for the sake of illustration, it is to be understood that such zone may not assume the particular contour shown but may vary therefrom appreciably, without departure from the desired result, that of obtaining a hardened zone near and including the valve seat surface and arts adjacent thereto.

While I have herein shown and described a specific embodiment of my 'invention for the sake of disclosure, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such specific embodiment but contemplates all such modifications and variants thereof as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claim.

The apparatus herein disclosed is claimed in the copending application Ser. No. 203,277, filed April 21, 1938, for Electrical heat treating apparatus, renewed January 18, 1941.

What 'I claim is:

A method of heating a surface of revolution in a workpiece when such surface is inclined to its axis, which method includes heating by electromagnetic induction only the radial and axial area to be hardened on said surface of revolution, holding a quenching nozzle in readiness to quench said area to be hardened with said nozzle located between an inducing conductor for heating the adjacent area and the apex of the inclined surface of revolution but adjacent said inducing conductor, b'reakingthe electric supply circuit through said inducing conductor and simultaneously axially shifting the inducing conductor and the quenching nozzle away from said heated area until the quenching nozzle is in a position to direct a stream of quenching fluid onto said area.

. HOWARD E. SOMES. 

